There's a new, old settlement rolling into town.
The people in charge of the West Coast Railway Heritage Park are set to build a replica train town at its facility on Government Road. The centre's current town features the Brightbill Heritage House and Squamish Station, which was built using a 1915 design. The park's association is looking to add an old schoolhouse and more buildings down the road, Ken Tanner, the organization's president and CEO, told council early this month.
We are starting the next phase of our village, he said.
Last year approximately 50,000 visitors came to view the park's locomotives, 95 per cent of them from outside of the district's boundaries.
We're on track to see that this year as well, Tanner said.
After the global market crash in 2008, donations have shrunk, requiring the park to focus more heavily on leveraging its assets, Tanner said. The organization aims to reduce its dependence on grants and increase self-funded activities.
We are facing some shifting realities, he said.
As a result, officials are transforming the park into a multi-use community venue. The facility hosted 103 events at the CN Roundhouse and Conference Centre in 2012, an average of two events per week.
We would like to reach new groups in the corridor, Tanner said adding that groups could use the park for meetings, family events or art shows.
The park pumps an estimated $1.5 million into the community and employs 18 full-time employees. The heritage organization is working with the district to establish a long-term lease on the property in the hopes of consolidating short-term debt into a long-term mortgage, he noted.
By extending that lease, we would be able to do some financing, Tanner said.
